Poor couple from Odisha’s Sundergarh seeks govt help, watch
The woman lost one of her legs in a road mishap while her husband is a limp. Due to physical deficiency they depend on begging for a living
Sundergarh: An old couple from Sundergarh district of Odisha is living in miserable conditions due to poverty and physical deficiency. They live in a wretched house and they have hardly anything to eat. This has been reported from the Bramhana village in Kurada panchayat under the Lahunipada block of the district.
Baidei Patra and her husband Krushna Patra are living in a miserable condition due to poverty. Their house is a hut where there is a torn piece of polythene that works as the roof. There are two cots in the hut. The lady cooks food with much difficulty. They don’t have any offspring. Yet, three cats are their companions who live with them in the shed.
The couple depends on begging. Earlier both of them were going for begging. However, eight years back once they were returning home in the evening when a heavy vehicle crushed a leg of the lady. Since then, she is living with one leg while the other one is of no use. On the other hand, her husband Krushna Patra is a limp.
Every day, in the morning Krushna puts his wife in a wheelchair and takes her to a lonely place so that the woman can attend the natural call. His next chore is to bring drinking water to the house. The woman cooks food. Then, whatever they have, they consume and Krushna sets out to beg at a temple that is five km away from their house. On some days he returns in the afternoon while on some other days, he returns in the evening.
The couple gets 35 kg of rice and Rs 500 old-age pension from the Government. However, to withdraw that Rs 500, Baidei is required to go in an Autorickshaw as the place is about 4 km away from their home. The auto fare is Rs 300. Hence, more than half of her month’s pension gets spent on transportation.
Whether it is 44 degree Celsius heat or 4 degree C cold the couple has to spend in the so-called hut. They deserve to get a house under any scheme of the govt. Yet, as per the locals though they have conveyed their ordeal at the Panchayat office and block there is nobody to pay heed.
Sometimes the villagers provide them food or money as a charity. However, the locals have requested the Govt to provide the couple a house under Govt scheme.
In this regard, Kalinga TV Digital team met Lahunipada BDO. He said that he came to know about the plight of the old poor couple from us. He assured to help out. It is time now to wait and watch when the poor couple will get the benefit from the government.
Kalinga AI